The Lions have now lost their opening two URC games of the season, and head over to Treviso for a tough third tour match this coming weekend.
The Lions fell to their second straight United Rugby Championship (URC) defeat, edged 22-20 by Zebre in a thrilling encounter in Parma on Sunday afternoon.
It is a hugely disappointing result for the Highveld team, who were targeting a vital away win over a side that finished second bottom of the URC log last season, especially with their goal again to finish in the top eight to try and make the playoffs for the first time.
But the management should already be getting worried, after two poor performances against teams they should be beating if they want to make it into the URC knockouts, after the suffered a dismal 33-20 loss in their opening match against Cardiff in Wales a week earlier.
The result means the Lions are in real danger of ending their three game season opening away tour without a win, as they now have to front up against a fired up Benetton team in Treviso this coming weekend, who will be brimming with confidence after a win over Glasgow Warriors.
Poor first half
In the match it was ultimately a very poor first half showing that proved costly for the Lions, as despite an improved second half showing, they still finished short after a late try to the hosts secured the win.
Zebre dominated the first half, and would have been frustrated to only lead 12-3 at the break, after scoring two tries and having one chalked off.
Flank Bautista Savile opened the scoring in the 14th minute, finishing off a wonderful team moved sparked by wing Simone Gesi, to give them an early lead, but five minutes later a penalty from Lions flyhalf Chris Smith made it 5-3.
Zebre thought they had scored their second after a strong rolling maul near the Lions line, but saw it overturned by the TMO, however they weren’t to be denied as with four minutes to go in the half they rumbled over with hooker Tommaso di Bartolomeo dotting down, converted by flyhalf Giacomo Da Re, to give them a good lead at the break.
The Lions started the second half like a house on fire, and after putting the hosts under immense pressure in the red zone, they were rewarded when flank Samuele Locatelli was yellow carded for cynical play at the breakdown.
They used their man advantage to perfection over the next 10 minutes, as they crossed the whitewash three times, to take the lead.
Hooker Franco Marais thought he had got their first try after diving over, but the TMO spotted a double movement when he tried to place the ball and overturned the decision.
First
But they were soon back in the Zebre 22m, this time after a good move in the backline saw wing Angelo Davids get close, before the ball was offloaded to prop SJ Kotze to go sailing over in the corner for their first try.
In the 59th minute another superb move from loose play saw a number of offloads end with wing Eduan Keyter scoring in the opposite corner, followed by Smith missing his second conversion, as the Lions inched ahead 13-12.
Zebre retook the lead six minutes later with a penalty to Da Re, before a thrilling final 10 minutes decided the match.
First the Lions thought they had done enough to get the win in the 75th minute, when replacement hooker forced his way over from close range and replacement flyhalf Lubabalo Dobela sotted the extras to put them five points ahead.
But in the 79th minute Zebre hit back, as replacement prop Matteo Nocera picked and drove over from a ruck on the line, with replacement back Marco Zanon slotting the winning conversion, as they secured the ball from the kick-off and kicked it out to seal an exhilarating win.
Scorers
Zebre: Tries – Bautista Savile, Tommaso di Bartolomeo, Matteo Nocera; Conversions – Giacomo Da Re, Marco Zanon; Penalty – Da Re
Lions: Tries – SJ Kotze, Eduan Keyter, Morne Brandon; Conversion – Lubabalo Dobela; Penalty – Chris Smith
